Chapter 51: You Care So Much About Whether I Have Someone I Like…

Wen Wan Ning was leaning against the headboard of her dorm bed, flipping through a book, when she received Shen Jia Yan’s message.

Her phone vibrated once, and she instinctively picked it up to glance at it.

Jia Yan: [Wan Ning, do you have time? Can we talk?]

The message was short, and the tone was light, but for some reason, her heart suddenly tightened.

Ever since the contact between them had gradually decreased, she had thought she had grown accustomed to this distance.

She told herself that this was the best choice—to give each other some space and let herself sort out the complicated emotions in her heart.

She stared at that brief message for a long time. Her fingertips hovered over the keyboard, hesitating to type. Outside the window, the branches swayed gently in the breeze, just like her wavering mood at that moment.

Finally, she replied: [Sure.]

Shen Jia Yan let out a sigh of relief when she received the reply.

Fortunately, Wen Wan Ning didn’t refuse her with an excuse like “I’m a bit busy,” as she had before.

She took her phone and quietly slipped out of the dorm, heading to the spot where they used to call each other every day.

She leaned against the windowsill, steadied her somewhat erratic heartbeat, and dialed the number she hadn’t called in a long time.

The moment the call connected, both of them held their breath.

“Hello.” Wen Wan Ning’s voice came through the receiver, a bit hoarser than she remembered.

Shen Jia Yan stood by the window, the night breeze gently brushing her slightly cool cheeks. She gripped her phone tightly and said softly, “It’s me.”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, as if Wen Wan Ning was also trying to adjust her emotions.

“Mm.” She responded softly, her tone almost inaudible.

“Um…” Shen Jia Yan paused, then continued, “How have you been lately?”

Wen Wan Ning’s eyelashes fluttered. “Just to ask that?”

“No.” Shen Jia Yan took a deep breath. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

Wen Wan Ning didn’t speak, just let out a soft “mm,” as if giving her permission to continue.

“Do you… already have someone you like?” She didn’t mention the guy’s name or go into too many details.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end.

Then Wen Wan Ning asked softly, “Why would you think that?”

Shen Jia Yan gave a bitter smile, her fingertips gently rubbing the edge of her phone. “I saw your Weibo. Your interactions with that guy—his comments, the way you replied to him, and those emojis you used—they were all things I’ve never seen from you before.” She spoke lightly, but every word carried the sorrow she had suppressed for so long.

She quickly added, “Sorry, I’m not prying into your life. I just… wanted to see if you were doing okay.” Her voice was low, almost melting into the night breeze.

She didn’t say more, just quietly waited for Wen Wan Ning’s response.

There was another few seconds of silence on the other end, as if time had frozen in that moment.

Then, she heard Wen Wan Ning sigh softly. “Jia Yan…” Her tone was complex, carrying an indescribable emotion. “You care so much about whether I have someone I like?”

Though she could sense Shen Jia Yan’s concern and jealousy, she still wanted to confirm it instinctively—was Shen Jia Yan’s feelings for her truly beyond friendship?

She didn’t know why she was doing this, didn’t know if she hoped for an affirmative or negative answer, didn’t know if, even if it was love, she would choose to accept it or continue keeping her distance.

Shen Jia Yan gripped her phone tightly, her throat feeling choked, and it took her a while to speak softly. “I…” Her voice trembled slightly, the words stuck on the tip of her tongue, unable to come out fully.

The night breeze carried a hint of coolness through the receiver, disrupting her heartbeat.

“Wan Ning, I just… don’t want you to hide things from me.” She finally said, her tone laced with a trace of grievance and unease. “We’ve always been able to talk about anything, haven’t we? But now, I feel like you’re so far away from me.”

Wen Wan Ning was silent for a few seconds, seemingly weighing her words. When her voice came again, it was even softer than before. “Jia Yan, if I said… that I do have feelings for someone, would you… be sad?”

This question was like a pebble dropping gently into the lake of Shen Jia Yan’s heart, sending ripples across the surface.

Shen Jia Yan froze, her heartbeat seeming to stop.

It wasn’t surprise at the answer itself, but because Wen Wan Ning hadn’t denied it or dodged the question.

She wanted to say something, but her voice came out hoarse. “I…” She forced down her nearly out-of-control emotions and took a deep breath. “How could I? If you have someone you like, as your friend, I should be happy for you.”

It was the standard response for a good friend, but Wen Wan Ning heard the answer in her slightly teary voice.

She glanced at the figurine gift box on her desk, a flicker of reluctance in her eyes. “That guy is my cousin. He always took care of me when we were kids.”

She chose to tell her. Though she felt she couldn’t accept Shen Jia Yan’s feelings yet, she didn’t want to hurt her like this.

Shen Jia Yan’s world seemed to stop in that instant.

The night breeze suddenly felt gentle, all sounds around her ears muted. Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the phone, the only sound left being her pounding heartbeat.

“Cousin?” She repeated the word mechanically, her brain still processing this sudden twist.

The guy on Weibo was her cousin?

She thought she had misheard, or maybe Wen Wan Ning was just comforting her.

But Wen Wan Ning on the other end didn’t deny it, just hummed softly, her tone calm yet tinged with subtle warmth. “Yeah, my cousin. He’s taken care of me since I was little. Back in high school, my parents were often away on business trips, sometimes for half a month at a time. He was the one who stayed home with me.”

Shen Jia Yan’s fingers clenched the phone tightly, as if that could steady her crumbling emotions.

Suddenly, all the previous surging pain, suppressed suspicions, and nights of self-denial felt absurd and ridiculous.

That person wasn’t her rival, not her love interest, not someone who might take Wen Wan Ning away.

Just family.

She leaned against the windowsill, her fingers still trembling. “So… you don’t have anyone you like?” Her tone carried a cautious disbelief, as if afraid it was just a gentle lie.

Wen Wan Ning was silent for a few seconds, then said softly, “No.”

Shen Jia Yan let out a long breath, like a heavy stone had finally been lifted from her chest. She closed her eyes gently, the corners of her mouth curving into a small smile. Though she wanted to chat more while she had the chance, the yawn from the other end made her drop the idea.

“You sound tired. I don’t have anything else, so go to sleep.” Though reluctant, she was more heartbroken that Wen Wan Ning was so exhausted.

Wen Wan Ning responded simply, “Okay, good night.”

“Good night.”

The call ended.

Shen Jia Yan turned to look out the window.

This was the only call between them in recent times. Though it wasn’t long, Wen Wan Ning’s willingness to explain already satisfied her greatly.

There would be plenty of time in the future.

On Friday evening, after the last class of the day, Xu Jingyao suggested as they walked, “Let’s go out for dinner tonight. It’s the weekend—time to upgrade our meals.”

Fu Jinxi turned to Shen Jia Yan. “Do you have time, Jia Yan?”

Lately, Shen Jia Yan had been either in class or at the Music Society. She felt that only music could fill the emptiness in her heart and keep her from overthinking.

Her explanation to her roommates was that the Music Society had been busy, requiring her frequent visits.

She thought for a moment but didn’t respond right away to Fu Jinxi.

Xu Jingyao knew she had been in a bad mood lately, and half the reason for suggesting dinner out was to cheer her up.

She grabbed Shen Jia Yan’s arm and shook it. “Come on, Jia Yan, let’s go! We haven’t gone out together in ages.” She then nodded at Zhang Min. “Look at Minmin—she’s gotten so thin. We need to take her out for something good.” She winked at Zhang Min as she said it.

Zhang Min got the hint. “Oh, yeah, right. I’ve really had enough of the cafeteria lately. Let’s all go out to eat.”

Unable to resist their persuasion, Shen Jia Yan smiled and nodded. “Alright, let’s go. Dinner’s on me.”

The four of them chatted and laughed as they left the school gate. Xu Jingyao had already looked up a new Sichuan restaurant nearby that a friend recommended—spicy enough to satisfy and addictive.

Full and satisfied, the sky outside had long since darkened completely, with neon lights along the street lighting up one by one, adding gentle glows to the night.

The four emerged from the restaurant, and Shen Jia Yan hailed a taxi by the roadside.

The evening breeze carried a chill, rustling the leaves along the street.

At the school gate, they got out of the taxi one by one. Fu Jinxi patted her pocket to check her phone was still there, Zhang Min walked while scrolling through her Moments, and Xu Jingyao stretched lazily, sighing, “That dinner was so satisfying tonight!”

Shen Jia Yan brought up the rear and habitually reached for her pocket to check for messages, only to find her phone missing.

She froze for a moment, then frantically searched her jacket and pants pockets, her heart rate quickening.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Jingyao noticed her unusual behavior and turned back.

“I… think I lost my phone.” Shen Jia Yan frowned, her tone panicked.

“What?!” Xu Jingyao’s eyes widened. “No way! You were checking the time during dinner!”

“Did you lose it in the car? Or after we got out?” Fu Jinxi grew tense too.

Shen Jia Yan racked her brain, her face gradually paling. “I had it when I got out of the car, then put it away, and now it’s gone.”

“I’ll call you.” Zhang Min dialed Shen Jia Yan’s number and hit speaker.

The call went through, but the line only said, “Sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off…”

“It’s over.” Xu Jingyao shook her hands in frustration. “Someone must have picked it up, and… it’s probably not coming back.”